Holidays Calendar for May 6, 2018
Martyrs' Day is an official remembrance day and public holiday in Syria and Lebanon. It is observed annually on May 6 to commemorate the Lebanese and Syrian nationalists executed in Beirut and Damascus on this day in 1916.
Labour Day (spelled Labor Day in the United States) is an annual holiday that celebrates the achievements of the labor union movement, including the eight-hour working day. In most countries, it coincides with International Workers’ Day (May 1), but some have their own dates for Labour Day. In Australia, for example, it is celebrated on several dates depending on the state or territory.
Religious Holidays →
Bulgaria,
Georgia,
Russia,
Serbia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Saint George’s Day in Eastern Christianity
Saint George is one of the most venerated Christian saints. His feast day is generally celebrated on April 23. However, for the Eastern Orthodox Church which uses the Julian calendar Saint George’s Day falls on May 6 of the Gregorian calendar. In Bulgaria, this festival is a public holiday also known as the Day of Bravery.
Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in Christianity. His feast day is celebrated on April 23 by Western churches and on May 6 by Eastern Orthodox Churches which use the Julian calendar. Interestingly, the feast of Saint George is also observed by Palestinians, both Christian and Muslims.
International No Diet Day (INDD) is an annual event that focuses on body acceptance and healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on health at any size. It was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in 1992. INDD is observed on May 6.
World Laughter Day is annually celebrated in many countries around the globe on the first Sunday in May. This jolly holiday was started in 1998 in India.
International Family Equality Day is observed annually on the first Sunday of May. It was created to increase the visibility of LGBT families and highlight the importance of protecting their rights.
International Permaculture Day is observed annually on the first Sunday in May. It was created to bring together permaculture enthusiasts from around the globe and raise awareness of an approach to land management and settlement that allows to create sustainable, environmentally friendly and largely safe-reliant households and communities.
May 6 is National Nurses Day in the USA. This holiday is also known as National RN Recognition Day and it begins the National Nurses Week.
Infantry Day is one of the newest holidays in the official holiday calendar of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was officially established by President Petro Poroshenko in April 2019, shortly before the end of his presidential term. The observance is celebrated on May 6.
National Azulejo Day is observed in Portugal on May 6. It celebrates a form of Portuguese tin-glazed ceramic tilework that constitutes a major aspect of Portuguese architecture both in Portugal proper and in its former colonies.
In the United Kingdom, there are designated flag-flying days when the Union Flag must be flown on all government buildings, and local authorities and organizations are encouraged to follow suit. One of such days is Coronation Day, observed annually on May 6.
May 6 is National Crêpes Suzette Day. Although this delicious dessert belongs to French cuisine, some believe that it was invented for the Brits.
National Beverage Day is one of the many unofficial food days observed in the United States. Celebrated annually on May 6, it is the perfect occasion to sit back, relax and enjoy your favorite drink.
Hıdırellez (also spelled Hıdrellez) is a traditional spring festival celebrated in Turkey on May 6. It marks the day when the prophets al-Khidr (Hizir) and Elijah (Ilyas) met on Earth. The word “Hıdırellez” is a fusion of the prophets’ names.
In Kingdom of Tonga, the month of May is dedicated to family. The first Sunday in May is referred to as Children's Sunday, and the following two Sundays are celebrated as Mother's Day and Father's Day respectively.
Other Observances →
Lithuania,
Hungary,
Mozambique,
Portugal,
Romania,
Spain,
Angola,
Cape Verde
Mother’s Day
Some countries chose their own dates to celebrate Mother's Day. Lithuania, Hungary, Mozambique, Portugal, Romania, Cape Verde, Angola, and Spain celebrate the holiday on the first Sunday in May.
National Lemonade Day, also referred to simply as Lemonade Day, is observed annually on the first Sunday of May. This amazing holiday was established to teach children the power of entrepreneurship and encourage their entrepreneurial spirit.
Festivals on May 6, 2018
- Tennessee Renaissance Festival in Arrington, USA
- Brighton Festival in Brighton, United Kingdom
- Fan Expo Regina in Regina, Canada
- Rochester Sweeps Festival in Rochester, United Kingdom
- Brussels Iris Festival in Brussels, Belgium
- Feria de Jerez (Jerez Horse Fair) in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
- Tulip Time Festival in Holland, USA
- Istanbul Tanpınar Literature Festival in Istanbul, Turkey
- Brighton Fringe in Brighton, United Kingdom
- Espoo Ciné International Film Festival in Espoo, Finland
- Bray Jazz Festival in Bray, Ireland
- International Short Film Festival Oberhausen in Oberhausen, Germany
- Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival in Aviemore, United Kingdom
- Tehran International Book Fair in Tehran, Iran
- Palo de Mayo in Bluefields, Nicaragua
This Day in History
- 2023 The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, took place.
- 2022 Died: American comic book artist and writer, who worked primarily as a penciller. He came to prominence in the 1970s penciling Fantastic Four and The Avengers.
- 2013 Three women that had been kidnapped between 2002 and 2004 were rescued by the police. Their kidnapper, Ariel Castro, was arrested.
- 2004 The series finale of the television sitcom Friends was aired on NBC. As of May 2024, it is the fifth most-watched American series finale in history.
- 1997 Following the United Kingdom general election of 1997, the Bank of England was granted operational independence over monetary policy.
- 1994 The Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel was officially opened by French President François Mitterrand and Queen Elizabeth II.
- 1993 Born: Naomi Scott, English actress and singer best known for her roles as Princess Jasmine in Aladdin and Elena Houghlin in Charlie's Angels.
- 1992 Died: Marlene Dietrich, German and American actress and singer who is considered one of the greatest female stars of all time. Her breakout role was Lola-Lola in the 1930 film The Blue Angel.
- 1984 The Korean Martyrs were canonized by Pope John Paul II. They were the victims of religious persecution against Catholics during the 19th century in Korea.
- 1983 Born: Adrianne Palicki, American actress best known for her roles as Tyra Collette on Friday Night Lights, Bobbi Morse on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Commander Kelly Grayson on The Orville.
- 1973 Died: Ernest MacMillan, renowned Canadian composer and orchestral conductor who made significant contributions to the development of music in Canada.
- 1965 Born: Leslie Hope, Canadian actress and director, best known for her role as Teri Bauer on the Fox television series 24 and prosecutor Anita Gibbs on Suits.
- 1963 Died: Ted Weems, American musician and bandleader whose work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 1961 Born: George Clooney, American actor, film director, producer, writer, and activist who was received four Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards (as of May 2024).
- 1953 Born: Tony Blair, British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. He was Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007.
- 1952 Died: Maria Montessori, Italian physician and educator who is best known for having developed an educational approach that was named after her.
- 1949 Died: Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian poet, playwright, essayist, and translator who was awarded the 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote in French.
- 1945 The Prague Offensive began. It was the last major operation of the Soviet army during WWII in Europe. It was fought concurrently with the Prague Uprising.
- 1945 Born: Bob Seger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. His iconic song "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century.
- 1941 The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt made its first flight. This aircraft was one of the main United States Army Air Forces fighters of the Second World War.
- 1937 The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire while attempting to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey.
- 1931 Born: Willie Mays, nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, American professional baseball player who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.
- 1919 Died: L. Frank Baum, American author primarily remembered for his children's books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels.
- 1915 Born: Orson Welles, American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician. His notable works include a radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds and the film Citizen Cane.
- 1910 Died: Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India. He was the eldest son of Queen Victoria.
- 1904 Born: Harry Martinson, Swedish writer and poet who was awarded the 1974 Nobel Prize in Literature, sharing it with Eyvind Johnson.
- 1895 Born: Rudolph Valentino, Italian-born American film actor. His best known works include The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle, The Son of the Sheik.
- 1877 Died: Johan Ludvig Runeberg, renowned Finnish poet who wrote in the Swedish language. He is considered the national poet of Finland.
- 1874 Born: Victor Grignard, French chemist who was awarded the 1912 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of the Grignard reagent.
- 1865 Born: Robert Peary, American explorer who claimed to have reached the geographic North Pole in 1909. His claim was widely debated.
- 1865 Born: Sigmund Freud, Austrian neurologist who is primarily remembered as the father of psychoanalysis. One of his best known works is The Ego and the Id.
- 1859 Died: Alexander von Humboldt, Prussian naturalist, geographer, and explorer who laid the foundation for the field of biogeography.
- 1840 The world's first adhesive postage stamp Penny Black became valid for use in the UK. The stamp featured a profile of Queen Victoria.
- 1758 Born: Maximilien de Robespierre, French lawyer and politician who is primarily remembered as one of the most influential figures of the French Revolution.
- 1757 The Battle of Prague was fought during the Seven Years' War. It resulted in Austrian strategic victory and Prussian tactical victory.
- 1631 Died: Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet of Connington, English antiquarian and member of parliament best known for founding the Cotton library.